NFRC (National Federation of Roofing Contractors)              HRSC0047

Written evidence submitted by NFRC (National Federation of Roofing Contractors)

Call for Evidence: Heat resilience and sustainable cooling

Introduction

The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) is the largest trade association for the roofing and cladding industry in the UK, representing over 1100 contractors as well as 150 additional associated industry manufacturing and service businesses.

In 2021, NFRC commissioned the University of Southampton to undertake a comprehensive research project as to how we can best make our roofs future proof, preparing them for the inevitable changes to the UK’s climate in the approaching years and decades. The research considers two thresholds for overheating between 25°C and 28°C for the operative temperature of living rooms and 24°C and 26°C for bedrooms. The report is available here.

Overheating is already a big problem in the UK, and it is expected to worsen in the future. This is a public health risk, especially for the elderly. According to the Committee for Climate Change (CCC), it is estimated that there are about 2,000 heat-related deaths each year in England and Wales. This number is expected to triple to over 7,000 by the mid-century as a result of climate change. Overheating also has a productivity impact, as more and more people now work from home, as well as affecting the quality of sleep.

How can sustainable cooling solutions and adaptation strategies be implemented in such a way as to minimise overheating, reduce energy consumption and prevent overloading of the electricity grid during peak demand?

Keeping buildings cool by passive means rather than air-conditioning is not new technology. It is not coincidental that many Mediterranean countries have natural red clay tiles covering their roofs, which are able to reflect solar radiation in the infrared spectrum.

Most urban environments throughout the UK have a combination of high-rise buildings and low-rise buildings. Utilising cool roofs on the low rises, designers can create an impact on the high-rise buildings that are close to them because of the solar reflection.

Solar PV panels can also cool down roofs. Because solar panels are designed to convert solar energy into electricity, they use the energy to create electricity rather than allowing heat energy on the roof surface.

Vegetated green roofs are also an option to consider, however, an important consideration would be that a green roof will need to be moist to cool itself, which would be challenging to achieve in an extreme heatwave such as we experienced in August 2022.

NFRC hosts a wealth of knowledge and expertise on the contributions roof types can make to heat in urban environments, and would be happy to provide knowledge and insight to support the committee’s work.

Does the current planning framework do enough to encourage heat resilience measures such as cooling shelters, water bodies, green infrastructure and shading to be integrated into urban planning? Where such measures are incorporated, how accessible and successful are they?

The planning system and building regulations have a critical role to play in delivering a sustainable built environment.

However, currently, building regulations are too often viewed as the highest level of compliance for which to aim, rather than the baseline or minimum. A behavioural change will be needed throughout the supply chain in order to support the huge drive that will be required to deliver sustainable design and building practices. Government should be encouraging developers to aim high, not to meet the basic standards.

What can be done to protect the UK’s existing public and private sector housing stock from the impacts of extreme heat while ensuring that homes are sufficiently warm in the winter months?

The CCC has emphasised the importance of the 'twin challenges of climate change’, ending the use of fossil fuels but also preparing our homes for the changing climate. Retrofit, therefore, needs to be broader and include measures such as passive cooling, water efficiency, and sustainable drainage. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) should introduce a National Retrofit Strategy to support homeowners to retrofit their property to support resilience. This should include measures to reduce overheating.

Does the Government’s Future Homes Standard adequately consider overheating in homes? If not, what additional elements should it include?

Whilst the Future Homes Standard considers overheating in new dwellings, it does not cover our existing housing stock. The CCC made clear in its 'Homes fit for the Future' report that 'the 29 million existing homes in the UK must be made low carbon, low-energy, and resilient to a changing climate'. The government must urgently set out a long-term approach to retrofit in its Heat and Buildings Strategy.

Contacts

NFRC is happy to provide further evidence upon request.

Gary Walpole, Safety, Health and Environment Officer

Catherine Oxley, Policy Officer

August 2023